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Accurate Determination of the Neutron Skin Thickness of Pb208 through Parity-Violation in Electron Scattering

D. Adhikari et al. (PREX Collaboration)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 172502 – Published 27 April 2021
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Abstract

We report a precision measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry APV in the elastic scattering of longitudinally polarized electrons from Pb208. We measure APV=550±16(stat)±8(syst) parts per billion, leading to an extraction of the neutral weak form factor FW(Q2=0.00616GeV2)=0.368±0.013. Combined with our previous measurement, the extracted neutron skin thickness is RnRp=0.283±0.071fm. The result also yields the first significant direct measurement of the interior weak density of Pb208: ρW0=0.0796±0.0036(exp)±0.0013(theo)fm3 leading to the interior baryon density ρb0=0.1480±0.0036(exp)±0.0013(theo)fm3. The measurement accurately constrains the density dependence of the symmetry energy of nuclear matter near saturation density, with implications for the size and composition of neutron stars.

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  • Received 22 February 2021
  • Accepted 22 March 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.172502

© 2021 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Nuclear Physics

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Probing the Skin of a Lead Nucleus

Published 27 April 2021

Researchers make the most precise measurement yet of the neutron distribution in a heavy nucleus, with implications for the structure of neutron stars.

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Implications of PREX-2 on the Equation of State of Neutron-Rich Matter

Brendan T. Reed, F. J. Fattoyev, C. J. Horowitz, and J. Piekarewicz
Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 172503 (2021)

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Vol. 126, Iss. 17 — 30 April 2021

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